A100 PCIe 80GB vs B200 SXM

AmperevsBlackwellUpdated 35 days ago

The B200 emerges as the clear winner for prevalent AI training and inference tasks due to its 14 times higher FP16 performance at 4500 TFLOPS and 2.4 times greater VRAM at 192 GB. These advantages outweigh the A100's cost edge, enabling faster time-to-results for large-scale workloads despite elevated pricing and power draw.

A100 PCIe 80GB from $0.73/hrB200 SXM from $3.95/hr

Specifications Compared

SpecA100B200
TDP400W1000W
VRAM40-80 GB192 GB
CUDA Cores6,91218,432
Memory TypeHBM2eHBM3e
ArchitectureAmpereBlackwell
Form FactorsSXM4, PCIeSXM, NVL
InterconnectNVLink, PCIe 4.0, InfiniBandNVLink, PCIe 6.0, InfiniBand
Tensor Cores432576
FP16 Performance312 TFLOPS4,500 TFLOPS
FP32 Performance19.5 TFLOPS90 TFLOPS
FP64 Performance9.7 TFLOPS45 TFLOPS
INT8 Performance624 TOPS9,000 TOPS
Memory Bandwidth2,039 GB/s8,000 GB/s

Performance Analysis

The B200 demonstrates overwhelming superiority in compute throughput: its FP16 performance reaches 4500 TFLOPS compared to the A100's 312 TFLOPS, a 14-fold increase that accelerates deep learning training and inference for half-precision models. FP32 performance follows suit at 90 TFLOPS versus 19.5 TFLOPS, enabling 4.6 times faster execution for precision-sensitive tasks. The addition of FP8 at 9000 TFLOPS on the B200 optimizes low-precision inference workloads.

Memory specifications further favor the B200: 192 GB HBM3e VRAM supports models exceeding the A100's 80 GB limit, while 8000 GB/s bandwidth versus 2039 GB/s sustains larger batch sizes and reduces data transfer bottlenecks in training pipelines. This combination minimizes out-of-memory errors and enhances overall throughput for memory-intensive applications.

Power consumption reflects these gains: the B200's 1000W TDP doubles the A100's 400W, demanding advanced cooling but delivering proportional performance density.

Live Cloud Pricing

Real-time prices from 25+ providers. Updated every 60 seconds.

A100 PCIe 80GB

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$0.73/GPU/hr
$1.47/hr total (2×)
Available
LeaderGPU
LeaderGPU
8×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
80GB VRAM
$0.90/GPU/hr
$7.20/hr total (8×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
2×NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.00/GPU/hr
$2.00/hr total (2×)
Available
Vast.ai
Vast.ai
NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.07/GPU/hr
Available
Denvr
Denvr
4×NVIDIA A100 PCIe 80GB
80GB VRAM
$1.15/GPU/hr
$4.60/hr total (4×)

B200 SXM

ProviderGPU ModelVRAMHost SpecsRegionPriceStatusAction
Nebius
Nebius
NVIDIA B200 SXM
192GB VRAM
$3.95/GPU/hr
Cirrascale
Cirrascale
8×NVIDIA B200 SXM
192GB VRAM
$4.79/GPU/hr
$38.32/hr total (8×)
Cirrascale
Cirrascale
8×NVIDIA B200 SXM
192GB VRAM
$5.39/GPU/hr
$43.12/hr total (8×)
Cirrascale
Cirrascale
8×NVIDIA B200 SXM
192GB VRAM
$5.69/GPU/hr
$45.52/hr total (8×)
RunPod
RunPod
NVIDIA B200 SXM
192GB VRAM
$5.89/GPU/hr

Compare real-time pricing across 25+ providers

When to Choose the A100 PCIe 80GB

The A100 PCIe 80GB suits cost-conscious deployments where 80 GB HBM2e VRAM suffices for models under that threshold. Its lower entry pricing from $0.89 per hour and average of $2.09 per hour across 27 offers provide better value than the B200's $1.71 per hour start and $4.60 average. Lower 400W TDP eases integration into existing data centers with moderate power budgets.

Legacy Ampere-optimized software benefits from the A100's maturity, avoiding Blackwell-specific adaptations.

When to Choose the B200 SXM

The B200 SXM excels in scenarios demanding extreme scale: 192 GB HBM3e VRAM handles massive models infeasible on the A100's 80 GB. Memory bandwidth of 8000 GB/s versus 2039 GB/s supports unprecedented batch sizes in training.

High-throughput needs favor its 4500 TFLOPS FP16 and 9000 TFLOPS FP8, ideal for frontier AI research despite the 1000W TDP and higher $4.60 per hour average pricing.

Use Cases

LLM Training
B200 SXM

The B200's 4500 TFLOPS FP16 performance dwarfs the A100's 312 TFLOPS, accelerating large model training. Its 192 GB VRAM supports bigger batches than the A100's 80 GB.

LLM Inference
B200 SXM

FP8 performance of 9000 TFLOPS on the B200 optimizes efficient serving, paired with 8000 GB/s bandwidth for high throughput. The A100 lacks FP8 and trails in memory capacity.

Fine-tuning
Either

Fine-tuning often fits within the A100's 80 GB VRAM at 312 TFLOPS FP16, but the B200's 192 GB and 4500 TFLOPS excel for larger datasets. Choice depends on model size and budget.

Stable Diffusion
B200 SXM

The B200's 8000 GB/s bandwidth and 192 GB VRAM handle high-resolution generation without bottlenecks, surpassing the A100's 2039 GB/s and 80 GB limits.

Scientific Computing
B200 SXM

FP32 at 90 TFLOPS on the B200 provides 4.6 times the A100's 19.5 TFLOPS for simulations. Enhanced interconnects like PCIe 6.0 further boost multi-node scalability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GPU has more VRAM: A100 PCIe 80GB or B200 SXM?

The B200 SXM offers 192 GB HBM3e VRAM, exceeding the A100 PCIe 80GB's 80 GB HBM2e. This enables larger models on the B200. Bandwidth also favors the B200 at 8000 GB/s over 2039 GB/s.

How do A100 and B200 compare in FP16 performance?

The B200 achieves 4500 TFLOPS in FP16, 14 times the A100's 312 TFLOPS. This gap accelerates AI training significantly. FP32 follows at 90 TFLOPS versus 19.5 TFLOPS.

What are the cloud prices for A100 PCIe 80GB and B200 SXM?

A100 PCIe 80GB starts at $0.89 per hour, averaging $2.09 across 27 offers. B200 SXM begins at $1.71 per hour, averaging $4.60 across 13 offers. Availability tilts toward the A100.

Does the B200 support FP8, and how does it compare?

The B200 delivers 9000 TFLOPS in FP8, absent on the A100. This enhances low-precision inference efficiency. It complements the B200's FP16 dominance.

What is the power consumption difference between A100 and B200?

The A100 PCIe 80GB has a 400W TDP, while the B200 SXM requires 1000W. Higher power on the B200 correlates with superior performance metrics. Cooling needs scale accordingly.

Which GPU is better for large batch training?

The B200's 192 GB VRAM and 8000 GB/s bandwidth outperform the A100's 80 GB and 2039 GB/s for large batches. This reduces memory constraints in training loops.

Which is cheaper to rent, the A100 or the B200?

Cloud rental prices for both the A100 and B200 vary by provider, configuration, and availability. This page shows live pricing from 25+ providers updated every 60 seconds. Scroll to the Live Cloud Pricing section to compare current rates.

How much VRAM does the A100 have compared to the B200?

The A100 has 40 to 80 GB of HBM2e memory. The B200 has 192 GB of HBM3e memory.

Can I find A100 and B200 GPUs available to rent right now?

Yes. This page shows real-time availability across 25+ cloud GPU providers. The Live Cloud Pricing section displays only in-stock offers with current pricing.

What is the main difference between the A100 and the B200?

The A100 uses the Ampere architecture (2020) while the B200 uses Blackwell (2024). The B200 delivers 14.4x the FP16 throughput and 3.9x the memory bandwidth of the A100.

A100 PCIe 80GB vs B200 SXM: 80GB vs 192GB | GPUPerHour